Nidoran's Tale
by LemurKat
Summary: A Nidorino must lead a group of Nidorans to safety, but he finds out being a leader is not necesarily an easy feat.


  


## Nidoran Tales

_This story makes more sense if you've read my Pokemon fanfiction ([here][1]) but is a sensical story in its own right. Spiko was saved by Kataryna as a Nidoran, and the most ill tempered Nidoran you ever did see. He grew to love her, and evolved to save her. But when the group of Nidoran faced extinction, he had to leave her behind to save them. Nidorina belonged to the enemy, Team Rocket, but she sided with Spiko. Hope that makes sense..._

Disclaimer: Pokemon belong to Nintendo/Game Freak; but specific characters and ideas are mine. So no stealing, ok?

Spiko proudly surveyed the group of Nidorans that had trailed him. He felt sure of himself – he had done exactly as his Trainer, Kat, had asked. Not one of the little critters had even a scratch.   
Standing beside him, the bluer Nidorina had paused for a rest, her sides heaving with the exertion. He knew her heart was heavy.   
She'd done the unthinkable – disobeyed her Trainer and ran off with the enemy.   
Him.   
He tried to nudge her reassuringly, tell her she'd done the right thing, that Trainers shouldn't use their Pokemon that way, but she lifted her head and growled at him, a deep, guttaral, slmost frightened sound.   
Eventually the Nidorino gave up and studied his new charges. He estimated their were just shy of fifty Nidorans that had answered his frantic calls and listened to the Makimur insisting they leave their burrowa. The poor little creatures were exhausted and lay scattered in heaps, sleeping in exhaustion. It had been a mad, insane dash from that gloomy city, racing across the suburban streets. He remembered the elderly couple out for a walk, gasping as almost fifty Nidorans had raced past them. Oh, their expressions had so amused him!   
And now the streets had given way to woodland, but not a safe place ofr Nidoran, for it shortly gave way to the dark reaches of the Grym Forest (my names aren't very original, I know…). The Nidorino stood on his hindlegs, something he found much harder now that he'd evolved, and his red eyes glared at a Fearow roosting in a tree nearby. Spearows dined mainly on bugs, but Fearows prefered larger foods. It shuffled on its perch, giving him an "I'm just sleeping here, honest," look.   
Spiko himself was worn out – he'd become used to travelling in his Pokeball, and was therefore somewhat unfit. He stretched and yawned, chomping a few mouthfuls of leaves. They were not delicious, the trees around here were an acquired taste.   
He returned to Nidorina's side and found she had already dozed off, resting back on her haunches. He crouched beside her so their armoured hides were touching. She muttered but did not open her eyes and sleep quickly consumed the worn Nidorino.

When he awoke it was daylight and Nidorina had moved away during the night. Spiko stretched and awoke the Nidorans. They complained about the lack of food, the woodland was already too thick for good grazing. They were in pain. There was a long walk ahead of them.   
"Okay everyone," Spiko said, trying to sound more positive then he felt. "We need to assemble into groups of about ten, each of which one will be nominated as leader."   
One of the Nidorans, a deep purple male, hopped forward. "We are all wondering, sir," he said, "where are we bound? Why are you leading us? We know our home was to be destroyed," he added as an afterthought.   
Spiko sat back on his haunches. "I am taking you to a new, safe home, a Pokemon Reserve. I am doing this because I don't want you to end up like me."   
This puzzled the Nidorans. "What? Big and powerful?"   
Spiko chuckled. "No, but when I was a young Nidoran, my home was destroyed by bulldozers and me and the other youngsters were picked up by some humans. They forced us to fight, beating us when we refused." He shuddered at the memory. The Nidorans quirked their heads at him.   
"That sounds terrible," the main speaker said. "I hope I never get caught by a trainer."   
"Don't get me wrong, Spiko explained. "I loved my Trainer, I would have killed anyone who tried to hurt my friend Kataryna. I would do anything she asked, after I got my name."   
The Nidorino was very proud of his name – he was not just Nidorino, he was Spiko. It made him feel special, made him different. It showed someone loved him. As far as Spiko was concerned, anyone who really loved their Pokemon would give them a nickname.   
"What's so great about having a name?" The deep purple Nidoran asked politely.   
At that point, Nidorina returned. She stalked in and sat at the back of the group. In response to the question, she snorted derisively.   
Spiko ignored her. What did she know? She had never been bestowed with a name. "It makes you something special," he replied, "shows you're important."   
Another Nidoran, a very small mfemale, quite young, spoke up. "If we go well, will you give us a name?" The older female beside her cuffed her for her insolence.   
Spiko grinned. "We'll see. Now lets all get into groups of ten. I'll let you work it out." He nuzzled the deep purple Nidoran, "I think you'd make a good leader," he said.   
The Nidoran twitched his ears in pleasure at being chosen specially.   
Sighing to himself, the Nidorino thought about the huge responsibility he had taken upon his muscular shoulders. Nidorina was hardly reliable, she was sullen and acutely aware that she had been Bad.   
It took a while for the Nidorans to sort themselves into groups, since they were something of a disorganized bunch, used to grazing and playing. Eventually Spiko had them into five groups - one of ten, one of eight, two of eleven and one of seven. It appeared they were also not particularly good at counting.   
Under the burden of responsibility, he took lead of the larger three groups and left Nidorina with the other two.   
"Okay you fellows, we're going to head through the forest and I want your groups to keep together. You three groups," he motioned at the larger groups, "are to always keep within sight of me, and you two groups, are to keep within site of Nidorina. Is that fine with you?"   
Nidorina shrugged. "Yeah, fine, whatever."   
Spiko rolled his eyes. He did not want to add to his problems. A few years ago he would have attacked her in irritation, but that was the old him, Spike, the bad-tempered Nidoran. Nowadays he was more restrained. The anger bubbled in him. He had enough to worry about without adding a sullen Nidorina to the list. He would just hope she took her responsibility seriously.   
The three leaders of his groups were the deep purple male, and overweight powder-blue female and an older male with a tattered ear. He had told Spiko proudly that he had lost the ear in a battle with a Magumarashi. The Nidorino would have to remember that these were not docile "pet" Nidorans, but some were hardened veterans, well used to protecting their kin from predators.   
He set of in the lead, trying to keep an easy pace so that Nidoran with their short legs could keep up.

Within a few hours they had been engulfed almost entirely in complete darkness. The forest was very thick, the canopy blocking out almost all the light. There was little undergrowth, the lack of sunlight made it hard for anything to grow except ferns. Spiko nibbled on one and almost spat it out. The taste was bitter, acrid.   
The Nidorans were on edge and there was little the Nidorino could do to calm them – every noise, the flitter of birds in the trees above, the scuffle of something just out of view… all of them made the edgy Nidorans startle. Ground cover was too scarce to provide much in the way of cover and there were no burrows available, all of which was not conducive to a relaxed state.   
Suddenly one of the females on the outskirts squealed in fear and the Nidorans scattered.   
"Stop it!" Spiko shouted. "We must stay together."   
"Yes sir," the purple Nidoran said as he rounded his group up.   
Spiko hurried over to the place the Nidoran had cried in fear. She was staring blankly into the orange eyes of a startled Vulpix. Spiko stepped over her and bellowed at it.   
"You'll seek food elsewhere if you know what's good for you," he snarled. He doubted the fox Pokemon was actually hungry, or it would have attacked already. It backed up a few steps.   
"Wasn't hungry anyways," it muttered and trotted off, waving its six tails behind like a flag.   
The Nidoran rubbed up against Spiko's leg. "That was so brave," she said happily, "you're so strong and brave."   
He didn't know how to react to that manner of compliment, so he grunted and shrugged. It was not that he hadn't been congratulated and admired before – his Trainer, Kat, had done it frequently. His thoughts drew to Kataryna for a moment, the girl who had taken him from where he was chained to a post and managed to adapt him to life as a captive Pokemon. Anybody who was less dedicated and less stubborn would have given up on him, but not Kataryna. He'd hated her at first, with that all-consuming hatred that was aimed at all Pokemon and their Trainers. She had dragged him around on a rope, stopped him from attacking other Pokemon and rewarding him with titbits and praise. But everything had changed after Team Rocket had stolen all her other Pokemon. They had left him because he was just a Nidoran, and what use was a Nidoran? He had no loyalty to Kat at that point, had merely attacked the Nidorina because she was an opponent and fighting was his nature. She had poisoned him and just before he had passed out from the poison, Kataryna had Named him. No longer was he "Nidoran", he was Spike!   
"We're all together now," the deep purple Nidoran raised him from his reverie, "and rather anxious to move."   
If someone had told him a few years ago that he would be the leader of a band of Nidorans, he would have laughed – or, more likely, mauled the speaker.   
He rounded his thirty two Nidorans up and set off again.

The rain started a few hours later. Not gentle rain, easily avoided by retreating into burrows, but heavy, annoying rain that collected on the trees to be released in heavy droplets just when one happened to walk beneath it. Nidorino was limping now. He had been grazed by a bullet whilst defending the Nidorans from human hunters, and despite the fact that the wound was small, merely a scrape, the movement was irritating it. Nidorina had also been shot. He wondered how she fared, he had not seen hide nor hair of her group for some hours now. She was probably limping as much as he. One of the female Nidorans nudged him in the leg.   
"Are you okay sir?" She asked.   
It disconcerted him how most of the Nidorans referred to him as "sir". Spiko could remember being a Nidoran, considered small and weak and it was hard to get that impression of himself out of his thoughts. Of course, he'd never really been _weak_ in the beginning. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, "I just have a bit of a cut."   
Another young female appeared at his side, couching beside the first. "You're bleeding," she said, almost sounding in awe.   
Spiko glanced at his side and saw that blood was indeed trickling over his thick purplish hide, the water washing it away. "Indeed I am." He said, trying to sound as calm as possible. He didn't want to scare his followers.   
One of the females glanced at the other and her colour reddened somewhat. "Would you like us to lick it better?" She said.   
The two of them reddened simultaneously and burst into giggles. Spiko merely shook his head. Girls…   
"Nah, I'll be fine, let's see if we can find a place out of the rain."   
"Like that's going to happen," the more outspoken of the two females said, "the trees don't shelter us at all, sir, so where could we be out of the rain?"   
Spiko shrugged.   
The deep purple Nidoran rushed up to him. "There's something wrong, sir," he said breathlessly. "The water, it's making the little ones ill."   
"We must find shelter," Spiko informed him. Above the trees came a rumble of rolling thunder, sounding almost on top of them.   
A brilliant flash of irridescent white light lit up the tree tops and the smell of ozone filled the air.   
The two females leapt into the trees simultaneously, squealing in fear. The deep purple male was somewhat more controlled. He crouched low to the ground, his fur plastered to his body and caked with dirt, and shuddered. His ears dropped. He was plainly terrified, but trying to show control.   
"Oh hades," he muttered, something he had picked off Kat. They would all be scattered shortly if he couldn't regain control.   
The male with the tattered ear darted up. "Sir, sir," he cried, "we've found a dry spot, only, someone bet us to it!"   
"Show me the way," he replied. "You, Purple, round up all the scattered Nidoran you can find and follow me."   
The purple Nidoran grinned, he appeared to have earned himself a name, even if it wasn't a very exciting one. "Yessir, at once!" He replied and darted off, his fear having dwindled now the lightning had cleared.   
"Come on you two," Spiko pushed the two females out from where they were huddled beneath a sodden fern, crouching close to each other. They had gone tharn with terror ("tharn" by the way was a word invented by Richard Adams to describe terror's effect on say, rabbits caught in the headlights of a car. It's a good word).   
One of them squealed and clawed at him with her sharp forepaws, but he simply picked her up gently in his teeth.   
"Come on," tattered ears insisted, "its not far and if we don't hurry they'll go in anyway!"   
"I've got most of them," Purple returned, followed by a bunch of mud caked and sodden Nidorans, "I don't know how many we're missing though."   
"We'll work it out later," Spiko replied. His injury was aching. He just wanted to sit down and rest. It had not occurred to him that he was as badly out of shape as he obviously was. Kataryna had been good to him, and had exercised him regularly, but a life spent in a Pokeball and with the occasional battle was no replacement for a life spent surviving in a harsh world.   
"This way then," tattered ear said happily, and led them through the ferns and around the fallen, moss-covered logs until they came to a cave.   
It was not really a cave, but a hollow formed beneath the fallen trunk of an ancient tree. It should be dry in there.   
"Nothing wrong here," Spiko said, "let's get in out of the rain."   
He spoke a moment too soon.   
The cave was not empty, but contained a huddled Bulbasaur.   
"Bulba," it growled as Spiko tried to enter it. "Stay out, my home."   
Spiko dropped his head so that the Bulbasaur was staring directly at his horn. "We want to get out of the rain, and we will."   
"Not without a fight," the Bulbasaur snarled, lowering its head.   
Spiko barely dodged in time as a handful of razor edged leaves sliced past him, cutting furrows in his hide. "Ni!" He squealed as the blood welled up from the many cuts.   
"Saur," the Bulbasaur snarled, "you're a weakling, aren't you?"   
It barrelled into him, sending him backwards. He was larger and heavier than the Bulbasaur, but it had the benefit of greater leverage.   
"Stop this at once!" Purple shouted. "Sorry sir, but do we really need to fight?"   
Spiko paused, about to kick the Bulbasaur with his forelegs. Fighting had always been the way before.   
The deep purple Nidoran took a cautious step back, crouching low and peering nervously at the Nidorino. It almost appeared as though he were frightened of Spiko! "Only, it's quite a big cave and most of us are pretty small, with the exception of you, sir."   
Spiko grunted. "He's right." The Nidoran relaxed. "My friends are cold and miserable and you have such a big shelter. Would you perhaps be willing to share it with them."   
The Bulbasaur narrowed his eyes, unsure.   
"I'm sorry I attacked you," Spiko added. "It's a bad habit of mine, attacking before thinking. I apologise."   
Bulbasaur looked mollified. "I suppose so," it replied, "I mean, you don't eat meat, do you?"   
"Of course not," Spiko chuckled, "vegetarian all the way, we are Nidorans are we not."   
"You're not," tattered ears muttered but was silenced by Purple.   
Bulbasaur shrugged. "I've never met a Nidoran before," he said, "they don't often come into our forest. What brings you here?"   
The Nidorino smiled wryly, "let my friends in and they'll be more than happy to tell you."   
"Of course," Bulbasaur replied, "come on in guys." It glanced at Spiko. "Um, I think you're a bit big…"   
Spiko shruged. "I don't mind, I've got someone to find first anyhow."   
Purple and tattered ears ushered the assembled, soggy Nidorans into the cave beneath the fallen tree. Bulbasaur took a step back and studied them carefully.   
"There certainly are a lot of you," it observed.   
"Thirty two," Spiko said, having performed a quick head count. He had somehow managed to not lose a single one of his Nidorans. How, he wondered, had Nidorina fared? He would have to go and find her. The pain in his shoulder was unrelenting and annoying, but he had to make sure she was safe, and her charges of course! The rain did not bother him as much as it bothered the Nidorans, he had no fur, thus did not become laden with moisture and this rain was not particularly cold.   
Clenching his teeth against the stinging pain, Spiko stepped out into the pouring rain and went in search of Nidorina.

Nidorina was not in a good way either. She had also suffered an injury and her mental anguish was overwhelming. Freyja had been her Trainer, had raised her from the time she was a tiny Nidoran, and had taught her to fight, taught her to hunt. With Nidorina at her side, Freyja had stolen many Pokemon, and without Nidorina she would surely be having difficulties now. Nidorina did not think it wrong to steal Pokemon, even though she was one herself. She had been raised to the Team Rocket ideal and besides, Pokemon were really free creatures in their minds anyway. If Trainers did not love or care for them enough to prevent them being stolen, they deserved new homes anyhow. And in one spur of the moment decision she had given her lifetime friend the worst treatment possible. It must have been something to do with the fact that she was lonely, had always wanted a mate, and that arrogant fool, Loki, would never have the good taste to get his hands on a Nidorino. No, he loved his damned Kadabra too much. So when she had seen that what her Trainer was telling her to attack was a young, strong, male, her hormones had taken control. She'd sided with him, the tool of the enemy, against her very own Trainer. That was just so wrong! How could she do that? How ever would Freyja cope without her loyal Nidorina friend?   
She sighed gloomily to herself. She had been Bad, terrible…   
Suddenly, through the downpour came the Nidorino who called himself Spiko. He was so proud of his stupid name. What did he know about Trainers loving their Pokemon? Ha, even Nidorina could answer that, she had seen the dedication with which the kid called Kataryna had fought to keep her Pokemon. Yeah, Kataryna certainly did love her Pokemon. Nidorina sighed. She knew Freyja loved her, even without giving her a name. What purpose did a name have anyway?   
"Where are the Nidorans?" Spiko growled.   
Nidorina looked up, blinking somewhat as though surprised. She shrugged. "Around here, I guess."   
Spiko looked beyond her and then snarled at her. "I can't see any, not one. What did you do with them? Don't you care what happens to them? They're your kin, you foolish Team Rocket pawn!"   
The Nidorina shrank back, seeing the anger flashing in his red eyes. She had seen such rage before, in the Nidoran he had once been. And now his wrath was directed at her. "I'm sorry," she muttered.   
"Sorry ain't good enough," the Nidorino snarled. "They could be lost, frightened, cold, and what are you doing? Sitting here in the cold feeling miserable. Well, I've just about had enough of you!"   
Suddenly he scuffed his forefoot on the ground, as a charging bull would. He lowered his impressive horn. Rage flashed in his eyes. That part of Spiko had never been tamed, merely buried. It took something rather upsetting to turn him into a raging monster now. Such as lack of responsibilty and concern for one's duty.   
Nidorina knew what was happening and squealed, throwing herself at the Nidorino before he had the chance to charge. But he had the greater size and the greater bulk and he moved surprisingly fast. If there was one thing Spiko was good at, it was fighting. She fell beneath his hoofs, squealing in pain as he kicked her.   
He rose his head, preparing to gouge her with his horn, his horn which was even know secretting venom as though in preparation.   
"No!" She screamed. Her voice was horse, high.   
Spiko caught himself in time and blinked several times. He could not poison her now. There were no Pokemon centres here. If she were poisoned, she would _die_.   
The very thought made him cringe.   
"I'm suh-sorry," he stuttered. "I'll find your Nidorans, you go on ahead and I'll bring them to you. The rest are beneath a great, fallen tree."   
She nodded, as shamefaced as he.   
He turned away from her, the shame resting upon his shoulders like the weight of the world. Had he really changed? Or had he just hidden that part of himself? He was so ashamed, so ashamed that had he not the important task of finding the lost Nidorans that he would walk off by himself and never stop. Never turn back. In his rage he had not only let himself down, but he had let Kat down. He didn't even deserve his name.   
Perhaps this was how Nidorina felt.   
The thought came to him as sharp as an arrow. No wonder she was distracted, no wonder she was having difficulty accepting her new tasks. She was lost, just as he was.   
The revelation fresh in his mind, he put a spring in his step. Now he could empathise!   
He paused suddenly, twitching his impressive ears. What was that noise he could hear? He quickened his pace and pushed through the undergrowth.   
"Fooood, fresssh fooood," came the voice, oozing and evil.   
The sound of Nidorans whimpering reached his ears.   
Before him stood fifteen Nidorans, pressed closely together, eyes glazed in acute fear. They were surrounded by Ekans, at least two dozen of the snakes. They were young, and a little confused, for they just slithered there, hissing. No, Nidorino saw, they were waiting. The Nidorans were poised, horns out, ready to crush and destroy any Ekans that came too close. But the Nidorans were tiring and the rain was not kind to them, sooner or later they would fall and the Snake Pokemon would have their supper.   
But not if he could prevent it.   
"Ni do RINO!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, causing some of the Ekans and many of the Nidoran to look up at him.   
He lowered his head, shooting from it a stream of cold, white light. Kataryna had not known what is was called, had named it "Cosmic beam" or some such thing, but it was an aurora beam, something he had picked up in his days of being a fighting Pokemon. The beam caught one of the Ekans, causing it to stiffen abruptly as it all but froze. His beam was not strong, could not freeze them properly, but it was strong enough to lower their blood temperature. And Ekans, like snakes, were ectotherms – they required the warmth of the outside air to keep warm. Otherwise, they would not be able to act as swiftly.   
Seeing that he had made the first real attack, the Nidorans immediately started into action. It was as though his cooling of one of the Ekans had freed them from their paralyzed state. As it quite properly had.   
Some of the Nidorans threw themselves at the Snake Pokemon, kicking them with their feet (and sharp little claws) whilst others sprang aside and darted off into the bushes. The Ekans were thrown in turmoil. Everywhere came the hissing of snakes and the rather disturbing sound of the Ekans firing the poisonous needles from their mouths. Several times Spiko heard a Nidoran scream in pain. He was too busy to do anything, the frightened snakes and the frightened Nidorans brought out the repressed vicious side of his nature and he stomped around, his heavy feet crushing an Ekans here, his horn sending one flying there.   
"Retreeeeat," one of the Ekans hissed and they all fell back, slithering away into the bushes.   
Spiko surveyed the Nidoran. Some were injured, blood staining their light blue or light pinkish-purple fur. All were cold, muddy, hungry and dismal. He felt they were waiting for soomething.   
"We have found shelter," he said, his voice weaker than he would have liked, "follow me and you shall be dry until this rain passes us by."   
"Sir," one said nervously, "I, I think one of the needles got me. My head feels funny." She took a step forward, swivelled on one foot and collapsed into the mud.   
"Sir, I'm cold and wet, are we nearly to our new home?"   
Spiko stared at them. They were beaten, he was beaten. Already there had been so many difficulties. He doubted he would be able to get all of them to their new home in peace. He scooped the fallen female up so that she lay across his back whimpering in pain at every movement. "Come on, let's go."

The poisoned Nidoran lay shuddering in the middle of the floor whilst the other Nidoran sat around her, shaking as though they felt her pain. One of them glanced up, his eyes wide with the pain and fear of it all.   
"Why are we doing this?" He said. "Are we all going to die alone in the woods, cold and lost?"   
"We should never have come," one of the others agreed. "At least at home we had lovely warm burrows and we didn't have to worry about Ekans and Fearows."   
"And Yorunkozo and Zubats." Another agreed.   
"A Zubat wouldn't take on a Nidoran," another one said, "don't be silly."   
"They say that in the great woods the zubats are so big they could eat a bulbasaur," another said, eyes wide with horror.   
"That's nonsense," the Nidoran that had called the idea silly said, but there was a quiver in her voice.   
"What do you say Bulbasaur?" One said.   
Snores answered his question. Bulbasaur was asleep.   
"Who does Spiko think he is, anyway?" One muttered. "He's not one of us."   
"Don't be silly," Purple stated angrily, "he saved you silly Nidorans from the Ekans, didn't he? He saved us from the development. Don't you think we owe him our loyalty, because he is an outsider and he has helped us."   
The Nidorans fell silent and Purple wondered if he had said the right thing.

Outside, rain trickling down his hide and causing a very slightly pink puddle in the mud below, Spiko lay. His ears twitched, he could hear everything they said and he hated it. He hated himself. He was failing them as a leader – it had been but one day and already one of their number lay dying. And she would die for there were no Pokemon centres here. No Pokeball to snatch her away from the harm. A single tear trickled from his eye and collected in the bloodstained puddle beneath his head.

Nidorina was listening too. Spiko had lain down to sleep away from her, and she welcomed that, but she could hear the words of the scared Nidoran and knew that the Nidorino could too. It was not he that had failed them, but her, for she had ignored them in favour of her own angst and now one would die.

Inside the cave, the poisoned Nidoran twitched one final time, her body weakened from the venom. Her legs spasmed, kicking up the dirt.   
And then she was still.

Sunlight shone through the trees, causing patterns of brilliant light upon the ferns and undergrowth. It did little to cheer the hearts of the Nidoran, Spiko or Nidorina. Today Spiko was avoiding her, she realised. She had approached him several times, wanting to comfort him about the death of the Nidoran, which had not been his fault, had not been anybody's fault, except perhaps hers. He turned his shoulder from her, thrusting his chin high in the air. She didn't know why he was mad at her.   
She could not tell that he was mostly mad at himself.   
A gloom had settled on the souls of the party and there was not the warm chatter today or even the same stark fear. They just seemed not to care. Somehow that was worse. Ahead, the sound of tumbling water filled the air.

The Nidoran stood in gloomy groups, hardly even talking to one another. Spiko hurried up and saw what had stopped them – a great river roared through the forest here.   
"Looks like we're going to have to get our feet wet," Spiko tried to sound cheerful but failed.   
"I can't swim," one of the young Nidorans said.   
"Nor can I," a young female added.   
"Easily solved," Spiko replied, knowing full well that he could not swim either. "We shall have to build ourselves a raft."   
"What's a raft?"   
"It's a small boat," Nidorina butted in. "Humans use it to cross water. But you're forgetting one thing, sir." She addressed the last bit to Spiko, surprising him.   
He quirked his head at her in query.   
"How are we to build a raft? It is not like we have thumbs or anything."   
Spiko sighed. She was quite right.   
"Well, I'll figure it out, Nidorans. You lot should eat yourself some grass, after all, there's some here and there's not likely to be much for a while now."   
As if they had been waiting for his permission, all of them suddenly fell to gorging themselves on the somewhat scrappy patches of grass.   
"I'm going upstream to have a look around," Spiko informed Nidorina. "Would you be so kind as to keep an eye on this lot?"   
Nidorina looked at him incredulously. "You trust me to watch them,?" She said in amazement, "after what happened before?"   
"If I can't trust you, who can I trust?" Spiko asked. "You'll be fine."   
Nidorina did not reply, but she did look mildly pleased.

Spiko meandered along the river bank, looking for a possible place to ford it. Nidorinos were too heavy to swim. As he wandered along, something popped up in the water beside him. He turned, trying to see what it was, but it had vanished.   
Shaking his heavy head, Spiko continued along the water's edge. The browse here was not too bad, he noticed, and helped himself to a few leaves and some red berries. They tasted a little bitter, but were otherwise quite satisfying. The movement in the water caught his peripheral vision again, and once more he whirled, but saw nothing. Suddenly something sprayed out from the ground in front of him, drenching his chin. He snarled and whirled on the attacker.   
"Haha, I got 'im," it shrieked joyously, then saw the horn coming towards it. "Arrgghhhh!" It threw itself into the water. Spiko had never seen a creature like it before. It was small and blue, with a huge, round head and tiny feathery ears.   
Spiko stared at it. "Who, may I ask, are you?" He queried, "and why did you attack me?"   
The little blue thing stuck its chin out. "I was just playing mister," it said, "hows was I to know you weren't gonna take it kindly?"   
"I asked what, or whom, you are," Spiko explained slowly. "I do not mean you any harm, you just startled me." It was just a youngster he realised now, who probably thought such little pranks were funny. It reminded him a little of Razor, Kataryna's Seadra, and that made him think of her. It softened his temper somewhat.   
"I'm Upaa," it replied happily. "An my mama is around here, she's Nuo."   
Another, much larger head came up from the water. It lacked the feathered ears. "I'm Nuo," it said. "I was wondering if you had something to do with the bunch of Nidorans downstream that are playing on the bank."   
The Nidorino nodded. "They are my charges," he explained. "I'm trying to find a way to get them across the river."   
"Can't swim, aye?" Nuo asked. Upaa frolicked around her, him stubby tail sending spraylets of water into the air.   
Spiko shook his head. Upaa did a little somersault in the air, pushing himself off his tail.   
"Stop showing off," his mama scolded him. "Perhaps we can be of assistance."   
"That would be wonderful," Spiko smiled, "but how? I mean, none of you are big enough to carry me across."   
"My family found something downriver, one of those things humans use to float on water. Perhaps that could help?"   
Spiko felt himself grow happier at the mention of it. "Perhaps it could!"

The Nidorans suspiciously eyed the old boat. It was a punt, and had an inch of water in the bottom, it was easy to see why it had been abandoned. But, it floated.   
"I'm not getting in that!" One of the Nidorans insisted.   
Purple leapt up on the side and clambered inside it, grimacing as his paws got wet. He peered over the edge. "See, it's perfectly safe, come on guys!"   
One of the females, who was plainly interested in Purple and had been flirting with Spiko earlier, wandered up to the edge. She hopped up on the side. "Ooh, it's wet in here," she said, sliding down beside Purple. "But other wise fine. Come on guys, do you want to stay shivering on the riverbank forever?"   
"Upaaaa," little Upaa cried, bouncing up onto the shore and scaring the Nidorans. "Water's guh-reat. Why don't you come and play?"   
"Upaa, behave," his mother scolded, picking him up and carrying him back into the water. "I'll fetch some more of my family and we shall push the boat across."   
"Thank you," Spiko said, trying to push the Nidorans into the boat. There were forty seven Nidorans, and the boat was not that large, so he realised they would have to make three, if not four, trips, since he and Nidorina had to cross also.

Eventually the punt was laden and Spiko and Nidorina pushed it into the water where a dozen Nuo had appeared, all prepared to ferry the boat across the river. Purple, the cocky little fellow that he was, sat on the prowl, alert and looking about in excitement. The female that admired him, sat beside him. She looked somewhat more scared. Upaa bounced around the boat spraying little geysers of water into the air. The first trip went without a hitch.   
"I don't want to get in there," a large, portly female Nidoran whined. "It's cold and wet and I'd like to keep my feet on firm ground, sorry sir."   
"Fine then," Spiko, who was getting anxious about having to cross the water himself, muttered. "Stay here on this bank, in the middle of a dangerous forest. You're probably get eaten by Ekans before long."   
The Nidoran cowered, her blue, rounded ears flat against her body. "You are a cruel, cruel, Nidorino," she whispered, her voice hoarse with fright. "You scare me. I don't want to star with you! I'm going home." She suddenly ran away from the river, back towards the city, many leagues away.   
"Stay here, you fool!" He bellowed. But she paid him no heed. He muttered angrily at himself again. Sometimes he could be just so damned STUPID! Why did he yell at her? Why did he tell her an Ekans would eat her? He was stupid stupid stupid!   
"I'll go after her," Nidorina said quietly, nodding at him.   
Spiko smiled at her. He was very grateful for somehow he doubted the female Nidoran would take quietly to him following her. Sometimes he wished he could just give it up and go back to his Trainer.   
"Okay, next lot aboard," he said, trying to sound cheerful and wishing he were somewhere else.   
With some reluctance the Nidorans jumped aboard the boat. Even though they had already seen the first shipment get across perfectly, they were still nervous. Nidoran liked to keep their feet on the ground.

The Fearow had been following the group of Nidorans for some time now. He was hungry, but did not dare attack them with the Nidorino or Nidorina around, those were too dangerous. But now, now the Nidorans were in the middle of the river, unprotected by their kin who could not even swim! Oh yes, now was his chance to find a delicious nuptial gift for his beloved.   
Pushing off from the branch with his feet, he fell into a dive, straight towards the boat. He pulsed with his wings, sending waves sloshing around the outside of the boat and over the side. The little blue otter-creatures lost their grip on the boat and the Nidorans, the tasty Nidorans inside, screamed and fell over, tumbling into each other in a mass of tangled pink and blue bodies. The Nidorans on the far side retreated into the bushes, hiding the way they knew best.   
The boat tipped up so it was at an almost ninety degree angle to the water. There were twenty two Nidorans in the boat, and eight of them lost their grip and fell into the water squealing "nidooo!" in their fear. The Nuos surfaced beneath them and carried them to shore.   
The Fearow pulled out of his dive and grasped a Nidoran in his talons, plucking her up from the boat as effortlessly as if she were nothing. He managed to dodge a beam of freezing white light just in time, shot from the Nidorino's horn, and flapped upwards into the sky.   
In his talons, the Nidoran female had gone limp with fear.   
"Fight it!" The Nidorino shouted and suddenly she came to life.   
She brought her head up, cutting into the bird's chest with her stubby, but sharp and poisonous never-the-less, horn.   
It squawked in pain, its talon's cutting deep into her flesh, causing droplets of blood to drip down and plop into the water below.   
"Upaa!" The young Upaa shouted, spraying a beam of water into the air at the bird, but he lacked the range.   
Suddenly the Fearow felt his wings grow heavy as the poison took hold. In a sudden spasm of nausea his talons released the brave female Nidoran and she tumbled head over stubby tail, to land in the water with an almighty "splash".   
Upaa rushed to her side and swam under her head so that she could breath.   
"You folks in the boat!" Spiko shouted, "get back into the middle now!" For the boat was still tilting crazily and riding somewhat lower in the water. The Nidorans obeyed automatically, the bird had terrified them beyond any thoughts of disobedience.   
On the far shore the rescued Nidorans sat in miserable damp huddles. The Nuo quickly returned to the water to fetch the boat and pushed it ashore without any further hassle. The Nidorans bounced ashore happily.   
Nidorina came back through the bush almost at that moment, a sulky looking Nidoran trailing along with her.   
"You missed the excitement," Spiko informed her.   
She quirked her head at him inquisitively.   
"A Fearow tried to eat one of them, but she saved herself."   
Nidorina smiled grimly. "You want me to get in now?" She asked.   
Spiko nodded. "And take her with you."   
The Nidorina and female Nidoran hopped into the boat. It was logged down with water now and appeared the worst for wear. Nidorina crouched low, keeping her eyes firmly shut and the Nidoran sat between her front hooves, shaking somewhat in nervousness. They got across without event though.   
And then it was Spiko's turn.   
He clambered into the boat, feeling the disconcerting motion as it sank and bobbed in the water. He found himself peering over the side out of curiosity, nervous but trying not to show it. The Nuos bobbed about in the water, watching him and pushing the boat with a highly practised air.   
Just as the boat was approaching shore, a errant gust of wind sent it rocking furiously. It was already so low in the water and the bottom was flooded, and suddenly it lurched violently to the side. Spiko was unable to hold on and fell into the water with an almighty "splash!"   
He struggled furiously, but Nidorinos are just not built for swimming and he found himself sinking downwads.   
Suddenly his feet struck the mud at the bottom of the river. He churned, desperately seeking purchase whilst his head became lighter from the effort and lack of oxygen.   
Something pushed him from behind and suddenly his scrabbling hooves found purchase and he half walked, was half pushed, out of the river.

Sodden and cold, the Nidorans gazed up at their damp leader. He grinned crookedly, feeling somewhat proud about getting them across the water.   
"You did it, sir," Purple, the main spokes-Nidoran says happily.   
"Is everyone fit and healthy?" Spiko asked.   
There were assorted nods and choruses of "yes," "I'm wet and cold". The Nidoran that had fought the Fearow limped forward. Her sides were bleeding from the creature's claws.   
"I'm a little sore, sir," she said.   
"You were very brave," he touched her with his snout, "little Fearow-Fighter."   
And so she was Named.

They departed from the river, bidding Upaa and the Nuos a fond farewell and many thanks. Upaa seemed the saddest to see them go, he had started a game with the young Nidorans that appeared to consist of flinging leaves at one another (he had no hands so had to use his feet). Spirits were considerably higher now.   
The sun was warm and bright. 

That evening found them nearing the outskirts of the forest. The trees were thinning out and the ground cover becoming thicker as more sunlight filtered through the canopy.   
"We're almost out!" The young Nidoran, seeming to absorb energy from the sunlight like a Venusaur, whooped and hollered, skipping around Spiko and Nidorina. Spiko's shoulder was hurting badly. The swim had not done it very well at all.   
"Good grub!" A female Nidoran said, nibbling on a berry.   
"I'm tired," moaned another one.   
"I think we deserve a rest and something to eat," Spiko said.   
There was a chorus of agreements. They were all hungry and tired.   
Purple came forward. "It grows late, sir and I do not think we would be liking to sleep out in the open. Perhaps Fearow-Fighter and I could go on and find us some night shelter?"   
Spiko looked at the bold young Nidoran. Purple was large for his age, with a proud bearing. "Of course you may," he said, too tired to argue. "But don't go too far and come back as soon as you find something." He wondered if the two Nidorans were actually wanting to find night shelter, or if perhaps they wanted some time alone together. The two loped off side by side, chatting happily.   
For once Spiko actually felt happy.

Purple and Fearow-Fighter loped across the woodland. It seemed somewhat friendlier here – although there was yet no sign of a cave or burrow. Suddenly Fearow-Fighter paused.   
"I smell something," she said, "um, I think it's human."   
"Human? We better take a look at this, we'll have to warn Sir Spiko."   
"Be careful," she cautioned.   
The two loped closer and peered through the bushes. Standing there was a small boy, looking just past kit-hood. He held an odd red and white sphere in his hands.   
"He doesn't look dangerous," Purple said.   
Another human came to stand beside him. This one was a girl, with red ponytails.   
"Oh, come on Birch," she sighed, "we're not going to find nothing tonight and its getting dark."   
The boy, Birch, rose a hand and whispered. "I think I heard something."   
The girl tapped her foot wearily.

"I don't like this," Fearow-Fighter whispered, "come on, let's go."   
"You who fought a Fearow are scared of a couple of human-kits," Purple chuckled, a little too loudly.

"I definitely heard something," Birch said. "Come on Rosie, let's catch it."   
"Yeah, as if you could hear a Pokemon in these woods."   
"Come on Charmander," he called. "Sniff it out."   
The small fire lizard Pokemon suddenly appeared in a beam of bright light.   
"You want me to catch Pokemon?" It said, "sure!"

Purple and Fearow-Fighter froze as the Charmander appeared out of nowhere.   
"They're, they're Trainers," Purple stuttered. "And they keep Pokemon captive in those little balls. That's terrible!"   
"They want to catch us!" Fearow-Fighter said, a quaver in her voice. "We've got to go!"   
"Where are you little Nidoran?" The Charmandar came stamping towards them.   
"Run!" Purple cried and the two of them bolted.

"Hey it's a pair of Nidorans!" Rosie cried. "We have to catch them, then we can have a matching pair! Go Squirtle!"   
"I'm out for a change!" Squirtle shrieked.   
"Go get that Nidoran!" Rosie shouted, pointing at Purple.   
"Right on!" Squirtle seemed rather cheerful.

The Charmander bore down on Fearow-Fighter. It blew a flame at her, the flames licked across her back, singing her fur and filling her nostrils with the smell of it.   
"Charrr!" It shouted in its excitement, not even trying to form words.   
"Ni ni ni," Fearow-Fighter whimpered in terror, diving beneath a fallen log.   
"Come on Charmander!" The boy called Birch shrieked, "you can do it!"   
Fearow-Fighter squealed again as the log above her exploding in burning ashes. Her body hurt terribly and all the fur on her back was bare.   
Suddenly she whirled. "Ni!" She shrieked at the Charmander.   
It skidded in the dirt, trying to stop itself crashing into her. She threw herself forward so that her horn cut into its red-hot chest.   
"Charrr!" It screamed in pain this time.   
Fearow-Fighter darted aside and ran, but the Charmander had given up. Its chest was bleeding and it hurt badly.   
"Charmander, return," Birch panted as he caught up with it. The Charmander disappeared in a beam of bright light.

Meanwhile, a burst of water sent Purple tumbling head over heels. He fell in the dirt facing the Squirtle.   
"You fool," he snarled, "you listen to your human slave master and not your own heart." His feet scraped in the ground and he threw himself at it.   
The Squirtle withdrew, meaning the Nidoran tumbled over its shell and landed in the ground.   
It brought out its head and legs again, and charged at Purple, uttering a battle cry of "Squirtle!"   
Purple sprang upwards and into a tree, his front paws scrabbling for a handhold. But Nidorans are not made for tree-climbing and he tumbled down again, to meet another headbutt.   
"How dare you," he snarled at the Squirtle. "Were you not once free, like me? Do you not wish you were again?"   
The Squirtle ignored him, kicked him.   
Purple lay on the ground, his fur soaked, his body bruised. One leg throbbed.   
"Go Pokeball," Rosie cried, throwing the red and white sphere at him. It hit him on the head, clicked open and the bright light swallowed him.   
There was an eerie feeling of floating, floating in a sea of bright lights and merry twinkling stars. Purple felt as though he were a cloud, weightless.   
It was the most bizarre experience he had ever felt.   
He knew he should fight, but he just couldn't, the weightlessness and the lights were calming, soothing….

"They got Purple, they got Purple!" Fearow-Fighter cried as she staggered into the group and collapsed at Spiko's feet. She smelt awful – of scorched fur and something much more disturbing, the blackness of impending death.   
Spiko nuzzled her, licking her poor singed body, wishing there were something he could do, but he knew the only thing that could help her was a Pokemon Centre and he had no idea where such a place was, or indeed what would happen if he just walked in there carrying her.   
He looked up, rage glinting in his red eyes. "There are Trainers in these woods, not very good Trainers, for they let her get away. And now, unless we find them, they're going to take our friend Purple from us. We must track them down, make them help us and make them give back our friend!"   
The Nidorans stared at him in bewilderment. "Um, how?"   
He looked down at poor, burnt Fearow-Fighter. "We must follow them and show them why they should not hurt our friends! Can you tell me what they looked like?"   
Fearow-Fighter rose her head. She was weak, her back a mass of scars and melted fur. "A boy-kit and a girl-kit," she said. "The girl had red head fur tied up with string. The boy had dark head fur and blue eyes. I don't think I can walk, please don't leave me! We must find Purple!"   
"I won't leave you," Spiko said, lowering his head. "Climb up onto my back and sit behind my horn. I'll try to move slowly."   
Fearow-Fighter had just enough strength to climb onto his head.   
"Okay," he said to the assembled Nidorans. "All whom are well enough to help me, follow, others, wait here with Nidorina."   
"Hey," Nidorina muttered, "why can't I help?"   
Spiko nuzzled her. "You are, by staying here and watching those that are tired and sore, it is a very important job."   
She looked pleased and he suspected she actually wanted to stay away from humans, for a while.   
Five Nidorans assembled around Spiko's feet – Tattered Ears, one of the females that had flirted with him earlier, two older males and a pretty young female with delicate pastel fur.   
"Okay, let's go," Spiko said, and they trotted off, following the scent trail.

Flattened grass and scorched patches plainly showed a battle had been fought here, but the two human-kits were long gone. Probably returned to the human warren to show off their capture. Spiko wondered how they would feel if they knew the Pokemon that had got away had been mortally wounded and would die, unless he found help soon. The Nidorans could not do this, they had no idea what a Pokemon Centre was or what miracles could be performed there, but Spiko knew and Spiko also knew that if Purple had been captured, as the smells suggested, they would take him to a Centre. After all, you healed your newly captured Pokemon straight away, didn't you?   
He smelt the village before he saw it. Woodsmoke, human sweat, the aromas that came from too many people living too close together. Oh yes, it was here indeed.   
The Nidorans moved closer to him, they were frightened of villages, despite the fact they had lived near a sizeable city all their lifes.   
"We're looking for a building with the letters PC on it," he said, earning himself confused looks.   
Pausing for a moment, Spiko scratched the symbols in the dirt. "This will be written on the building, possibly under a red and white circle like this," he scratched a very crude Pokeball. "This is where we will find Purple and get help for Fearow-Fighter."   
The injured Nidoran whimpered. She was getting worse, the stench of near-death increasing. Spiko was frightened and so were his companions.   
Then they saw the village.   
It was Eerie Village, small and quaint, an old farming community. The woods encroached on this side of it, creeping around to the north, the farms were all to the east, fields of nothing but Mirutanku and Meiriipu (cow and sheep Pokemon for those not familiar with GS). A woodsmith stood outside his house, smoking a pipe. A Meowth entwined around his legs.   
And saw Spiko and his companions.   
Its jaw dropped. "Hello," it purred, "what brings you to a place like this?"   
Perhaps if Spiko were not there, it might have chased the Nidorans, but Spiko was a lot bigger that it, and equipped with a nasty horn. It was going to be friendly.   
And Spiko was in no mood to argue. "We need help, fast, can you tell me where the nearest Pokemon Centre is?"   
"Meowth," the cat seemed puzzled, then smugly sat down and groomed its ear. "Maybe I know, maybe I don't? What do wild chaps like you want with a Pokemon Centre anyway?"   
"My friend is sick," Spiko snarled, lowering his horn, "and if you do not give us assistance willingly, then I shall have to make give assistance unwillingly. Understand?"   
The Cat Pokemon took a step backwards and narrowed its eyes. "Are you looking for a fight?"   
"Only if you won't help me," Spiko's temper was reaching its narrow end now, if the Meowth did not tell him soon, he would attack it and he would be unable to stop himself.   
The Meowth appeared to realise this. "I'll show you," it said happily, "follow me!"   
Spiko fell into step behind it, figuring that the Meowth was curious about what would happen once they actually entered the Pokecenter. It slunk along the foot path, with the Nidorino trotting along behind it and the five Nidorans pressing close to his legs. They were on edge again, and Spiko wondered why he had felt it necessary to include them.   
"There it is," the Meowth meowed, motioning to a large, clinical looking building with one paw. "You'll be going on in now, yes?"   
The smell of death on the Nidoran was growing stronger and she had passed out from pain. Spiko was walking carefully to stop her falling out from between his oversized ears. He had no choice, no matter how frightened he was.   
He stepped through the doors, which were already open.   
The streets had been nearly empty, but the Pokecentre was not. A woman with red hair and a very short skirt stood behind the counter, with a Chansey behind her. Chansey was currently attending to a wounded Charmander, dabbing something on its bleeding chest. They both looked up as Spiko and his friends entered.   
A group of young Trainers that had been sitting in a corner discussing the importance of matching elements when fighting, all turned and gaped.   
"My friend needs help," Spiko said, walking up to the desk and lowering his head. Fearow-Fighter fell onto the table in a limp heap. The Nidorans crowded about his legs cringed as one.   
"I'm scared," one whimpered. "Why are they staring at us?"   
The lady in the white clothing did not appear to understand what the Nidorino had said, but she understood the need. She picked up the injured Nidoran carefully, as if handling a baby.   
The Charmander glared at the Nidoran she held in her hands.   
"That little blighter poisoned me," it muttered angrily. "I had to have three injections to get out the poison. I hate injections."   
Chansey glared at it. "And I suppose you forgot that you burnt the little blighter?" She asked. She looked up at Spiko. "It is not often we see Pokemon come in here of their own accord."   
"I had to," Spiko said, resting his head on the desk. "Otherwise she was going to die."   
"Where's your Trainer?" Crowed a Doduo that was standing in the corner staring at them. "They throw you out did they? You useless big lump."   
Spiko glared at it. "My Trainer let me go because she loved me," he snarled. "I suppose your Trainer makes you fight for her."   
"I like it," the Doduo rose its heads in the air.   
"You do?" Commented the other head. "Are you trying to pick a fight with him?"   
"No, of course not," the first head remarked, pecking at the other. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"   
"Hey, stop it you two!" Bellowed a young man, stepping up and pulling both heads away from one another. "Don't quarrel with yourself!"   
"It's your fault," muttered one head.   
"Yeah, right!"

Spiko became aware that something was nudging him in the leg. He looked down and saw Tattered Ears was gesturing at something.   
"Is that the Trainer that stole Purple?" He asked.   
It was a girl with red pigtails.   
"I'll find out."   
Spiko dropped his head from the tail and walked towards her. She suddenly became aware that she was the centre of the Nidorino's attention. Her hand immediately fell to her Pokeball.   
The Nidorino growled, a low, spine-chilling sound that sent shivers down the spine of everyone watching. "Let Purple go," he snarled. She smelt of the girl in the woods.   
"Hey, that's my Trainer's Friend," the Charmander piped up. "She'll beat you, pipsqueak."   
Spiko was hardly a pipsqueak.   
Unfortunately, Nurse Joy was currently too bust attending to Fearow-Fighter to avert the disaster brewing on the horizon.   
The girl panicked. "Go Squirtle!" She cried.   
Squirtle leapt form the light and looked around puzzled. What was he doing in a Pokemon Centre about to fight? That wasn't right?   
Nidorino realised that offensive gesture and was not distracted by his surroundings. He lowered his head and charged at the Squirtle.   
"Withdraw!" The girl shouted, but Squirtle reacted a little too late.   
Spiko's horn sent it bouncing up the wall, to collide with the roof and bounce to the floor. When Squirtle tried to come out of his shell again, he was dazed from the continued knocks. Spiko pushed him aside with one foot.   
"Is that the best you can do?" He snarled.   
The human-kits were watching in awe. They had never seen a wild Pokemon march into a Pokemon Centre before, deposit an injured friend and then attack one of them seemingly at random, this was better than tv! None made any move to help the girl, not even her friend Birch, whose Charmander still sat on the desk muttering angrily.   
The girl was frightened now. "Return Squirtle," she cried, "go Weedle."   
"What? Where am I?" The Weedle was also somewhat confused at being brought out in a Pokemon Centre to fight.   
Spiko brought his foot down and kicked it against the wall, where it fell, instantly stunned.   
"Oh really," he muttered. A few years ago he would have trampled these pathetic Pokemon.   
Alas for the poor girl, she was down to one ball and the Nidorino was showing no interest in going away. In desperation she drew it out. "Go Nidoran!"   
The Meowth laughed, "oh, what a foolish child," it yowled.   
Purple appeared in the middle of the floor. He was healed perfectly but somewhat startled to find himself staring up at an enraged Spiko.   
Caught in the rage, Spiko was preparing to bowl him aside with his horn.   
"Hey, stop, wait, it's me!" Purple cried.   
Spiko drew back his head and gazed down at his friend. "Purple!" He shouted joyously, "are you all right?"   
"I feel as good as new!" Purple said, standing on his hindlegs and hugging Spiko's snout.   
"Hey, you're my Pokemon," the girl shouted, "tackle it, kick it, do something!"   
Purple turned to stare at her. "I am not your Pokemon nor ever shall be. You stole me from safety and tried to hurt me. I don't think that bodes well for friendship."   
"Nidoran, return!" She screamed, tears in her eyes. Purple dodge the beam.   
Spiko knew what was going on and was not going to stand for it. Stepping carefully over his friend, he walked towards the girl, who was now out of Pokemon to fight back with.   
"You will let us go," he snarled.   
She began sobbing in ernest.   
Spiko felt momentarily ashamed. After all, hadn't Kataryna caught him? She'd had to of course, he was doomed otherwise, but that didn't mean he had wanted to be captured. He wheeled back and returned to the desk. Purple trotted along behind him. The Meowth was grinning like the Cheshire cat.   
"Oh, that was so funny," it purred. "Perhaps I should help you out more often."   
Spiko snorted at it derisively.   
The woman in white returned to her desk to face him. "I've never seen a Nidorino Trainer before," she said with a smile. "Since I do it for them brats for free, I thought I'd do if for you too. It'll be a while before your little friend is healthy, but I don't suppose I could ask you to come back tomorrow."   
"No," Spiko shook his head, "I am grateful for your help, but I could not cope with coming back tomorrow."   
The Nurse seemed to understand. "Ok," she said, "I've given her injections of vitamins to help her get better and she should be okay, but I don't think she should walk a long way for the next couple of days."   
Spiko nodded, he understood more-or-less perfectly.   
"Other than that, make sure she has plenty of sugary foods and rich grass, as well as a lot of water. Got that?"   
"Yes!" Spiko said proudly.   
The Charmander rolled its eyes. "You guys insist on living the hard way," it muttered, "why worry when it can be so easy – all I have to do is fight and sleep."   
"Your life must be so boring!" Tattered Ears snarled.   
"Oh I dunno," the Meowth added, "sometimes exciting stuff happens – like you guys!" 

Some hours later they were back with the others. Nidorina had chased off a couple of Vulpix that had come after the group of Nidorans, lured by the scent of so many in one place. She had been lightly singed by the flames of the Fire foxes, but her thick hide had protected her better than it had protected Fearow-Fighter. Fearow-Fighter rode proudly on Spiko's head, grinning down at everyone. Her back was still bald, but she seemed in a much better way, no longer was the death-scent about her.   
It was into the clutch of night now, much too dark to hunt about for better shelter, so the group of them lay together, the forty-odd Nidoran lying amongst the larger Nidorino and Nidorina.   
Aside from bats flapping overheard and a Hoohoo hooting somewhere off in the distance, the night passed uneventfully.

Daylight, and the group were faced with the prospect of crossing farmland. It was a colder day, this day, their breath came in frosty clouds and the Nidorans fluffed up their fur to combat the cold.   
Spiko stamped around the woodlands, trying to warm himself up, for her did not have the thick fur of the Nidorans. Fearow-Fighter dined on some berry-fruit brought to her by the other Nidorans. They were also so eager to help, she and Purple (and Spiko of course) had become heroes overnight.   
"You know," Purple remarked quietly to Spiko, "it wasn't so bad being a captive Pokemon, she healed me, after all."   
Spiko nodded. "Having a Trainer can be a horrible thing, or a beautiful thing, but there is nothing quite like freedom."   
"We never would have made it this far, without you," Purple added. "We'd still be sitting on the river bank, being picked up by Fearows and Pidgeots.   
"That's why I'm here," Spiko said, "to help you. Kataryna knew that you folks would need all the help you could get."   
Purple grinned crookedly. "Ain't that the truth, sir!"

The cow Pokemon stared at them. They had a typically unintelligent, docile expression on their faces. They were not watching the Nidorans because they were interesting, but because it was something to focus their eyes on. The Nidorans ignored them, avoiding them somewhat but paying them no heed.   
The grass was damp with dew, and sweet after so much forest grazing. Spiko's followers seemed in no particular hurry and fell to grazing every few steps. Some of them would pass clumps to Fearow-Fighter, who sat boldly on Spiko's head, between his large, long ears, and looked down at them haughtily.   
His leg was worse today, he wondered it perhaps he should have asked the Nurse to heal him too. The red scar was brighter, with a distinctly yellowish tinge, a tinge of infection. He was trying to disguise his limp, but could not fool the attentive gaze of Purple.   
"Are you alright, sir?" Purple asked. "It's just that you're limping."   
"I'm fine," Spiko snapped at him, sending the little Nidoran cringing off, upset.   
The Nidorino felt instantly guilty – why did he always put his tongue before his brain? But Purple was already out of earshot.   
From his head came the sound of gentle snoring. Fearow-Fighter had drifted off to sleep.   
Shortly, they came to the border fence about the paddock. This one was in better shape than the first one (which they'd crawled through a gap in). The Nidorans crawled under it with ease – they were small. But Spiko and Nidorina had more difficulty. Sometimes Spiko wished he was still small and could hop properly. They wandered down the fenceline until Nidorina pointed out a wooden gate to him. Then, as one, they charged it.   
"Thwack!" The gate flew open, almost ripping itself off its hinges, and then they were through into the next paddock.   
This one contained Meriipu. The Electric Sheep Pokemon rose their heads and "baa-ed" softly at them.   
"What are you doing?" One asked him. "The master not be happy if you break his gates."   
"Not my master," Spiko grumbled, climbing over the fence at the far edge of the paddock (this one was low enough for him to push down with his forefeet so Nidorina could climb over, she then did the same for him).   
"Not be happy," the Sheep Pokemon added, then returned to eating grass, forgetting him instantly.   
The paddocks gave way to barns and settlements and the Pokemon realised with a start that they would have to travel through them.   
They paused for a break in the last paddock, amongst a flock of Meriipu.   
Spiko meandered off to browse from a nearby tree and his sharp ears picked up a sound.   
There was someone here.   
"Jolt, jolteon!" Something barked at him, and a Jolteon came roaring around the corner. An electric "sheep dog" for electric sheep, it made sense really.   
Spiko whirled and glared at it. "What do you want?"   
The Jolteon jumped back a step, somewhat startled. "It is my duty to protect the flock."   
"They're electric sheep," Spiko insisted, "can't they protect themselves?"   
"You, you're invading my master's paddocks and eating his flock's grass. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."   
"My friends are weary and hungry, we will be gone shortly."   
"Not good enough!" The Jolteon dropped onto its knees and sparks shot from its white jagged mane.   
Spiko felt the shock pass through him, his muscles seemed to come alive and he leapt in the air. It was not an extremely powerful attack – the Jolteon was just trying to show him who was boss.   
"RiNO!" He yowled. The fury raged in him. He scraped one foot on the ground and charged.   
The Jolteon was not expecting it and was suddenly bowled over by many pounds of Nidorino.   
"Don't hurt me," it whimpered piteously. "You and your friends can eat, but I want them gone by nightfall."   
The angry Poison Pin Pokemon drew his foot back and glared at the Jolteon. He was getting better at controlling his temper. "Ok, you may go this time, but next time you may not be so lucky!"   
The Jolteon bounded off.

Nidorina paused in the middle of nibbling bark off a tree. Her large ears twisted. Her nostrils twitched. She smelt something, human!   
Dropping to her haunches, she stole towards the smell and saw standing there was a past-the-kit age, human, female, with a strange box. Beside her stood a man with black clothing and a tie. He was talking.   
"And it is here, not far from Eerie town, is where the wandering group of Nidorans have paused long enough for us to watch them. The Nidorina leader can be seen just through the Meriipu there. She appears to have seen us. It seems truly remarkable that this group of Pokemon have decided to travel such a distance from their home, in Grymtown Park."   
Nidorina listened carefully, this was most interesting.   
"In fact, not only have they made this way all by themselves, they have also been sited visiting a Pokemon Centre in Eerie Town, where a small girl was menaced and had one of her Pokemon stolen by the Nidorino leader. It is thought that she captured the Nidoran from the group earlier, but we will be talking to her later."   
"We're celebrities!" Nidorina thought to herself. "Who would believe it? All we're trying to do is keep this poor little Nidorans from harm. And now they're making a documentary." She pondered further for a moment. "Spiko's not going to like this…"

Purple lay in the grass beside Fearow-Fighter. Both were fill to bursting. The grass here was lush, sweet.   
"You know," Purple said, "there are worse things then being a captive Pokemon."   
Fearow-Fighter turned her red eyes to give him a long, hard look, "what, like not being caught."   
"Yeah. Do you think they know what happens to us? Do you think they realise that we can't heal ourselves as quickly as they can?"   
The female Nidoran snorted. "Do you think they care?"   
"What puzzles me," Purple added, "was why the Pokemon serve them. I mean, I felt no desire to serve the girl that caught me – I just wanted to be back with you folk. I needed to know you were okay."   
Fearow-Fighter shrugged. "Do you think, perhaps, they enjoy beating up other Pokemon?"   
Purple shuddered. "What a horrible thought!"   
"I never want to be a slave to humans," Fearow-Fighter added. "I want to be free forever, and one day have kits of my own. What is the point in attacking other people's slaves? What does anyone get out of it except an inflated ego for the human and pain for the Pokemon."   
But Purple, a Pokemon wild and free, could not answer that one.

The group left again at dusk. Spiko had been alarmed to hear that humans were following them, and aimed to get as far as possible during the night hours, so that hopefully they could not be traced. They were much closer now. The reserve was up a hill on the far side of Lake Eerie, probably another two or three days walking and they would be there.

Disaster struck as they wandered through the rundown farm buildings as dusk fell. A young Nidoran, little past the kit stage, hungry and tired, lingered behind. He was part of Tattered Ears's group and the older Nidoran did not notice in the darkness.   
The kit whimpered, and sat down. His legs ached and he just wanted to rest a few moments. He heard a sibilant hissing.   
"Magu-marashi," something snarled. "I smell dinner." Its voice was smooth, oiled.   
The kit quivered, holding his body low to the ground. He could see it now, smell the smoky odour combined with that of predator, pure predator. Magumarashi were what every Nidoran feared, swift and silent, and brutal. The young Nidoran was absolutely terrified.   
He managed to break from his trance as the Magumarashi spat a ball of fire at him. But he was not fast enough. The flames caught his hindquaters, singing them bare of fur and blistering the skin.   
He squealed in pain.

Spiko heard the frightened cry of the young Nidoran. He stopped, turned.   
"Watch these fellows!" He shouted at Nidorina, depositing Fearow-Fighter on the ground, then bounded off to investigate. He was too late.   
He saw the Fire Ferret standing on its hindlegs, flaming mane and tail brightening the air. Saw the frightened kit, lying on the ground, his hindquaters a mass of reddened blisters and fried fur.   
You could smell the kit toasting alive.   
Even as Spiko charged, the Magumarashi sprang on the kit, its sharp teeth tearing open his throat and its tongue lapping up the blood. Like the animal that came before it, Magumarashi were quick, brutal. And very bold.   
The Nidorino hit it at full gallop, sending it and the charred carcass of the youngster into the air. The Magumarashi got up and turned to face him. It was not going to run, it was a Mustelid and Mustelids never ran from anything.   
"Magu," it hissed, its voice low and sibilant, like a snake given fur. It opened its mouth, sending forth a fountain of flaming fire that engulfed the Nidorino's face.   
Spiko reeled back, slamming his head in the dirt to try and put out the flames that licked across his skin. His nostrils were filled with the smell of dirt and smoke, and scorched hide. When his eyes had watered enough to open without pain, he found the Magumarashi had gone, taking its small trophy with it.   
Ashamed and scarred, the Nidorino returned to the group.

Nidorina managed to keep control of the Nidorans. Some had scattered when the youngster screamed, but her, Purple and the other more controlled adults had managed to keep them together. Nerves were frayed again.   
And then Spiko trotted in, still limping she noted, his eyelashes had singed off, as had the hair in his ears, but his hard, leathery hide had protected him from the worst of the fire. A few small blisters had formed, but nothing too terrible, nothing fatal. Just very painful.   
She watched as he dipped his head in a Mirutanku trough, wondering if she should go and offer assistance. But she didn't like to. Yes, he had been trusting her more recently, and had not menaced her again, since the Ekans incident, but she was still a little scared of him. His temper was just to narrow, and now he had really been heated up.   
So she stood, and watched, as one of the young females bounded over and asked him if he was alright.   
And Nidorina felt jealous, and hated herself for being that way. What was there to be jealous of anyway? Sure, Spiko was a fine looking Nidorino (new burns beside the point), but he was young and wild, with a temper worthy more of a Nidoking. So why did she wish it were her there, not some little pipsqueak of a Nidoran?

The pain had subsided somewhat, the burning ceased. Spiko drew his head out of the water and shook it, sending droplets of water flying in every direction. The Nidoran female that had offered him assistance chuckled as she got wetted.   
"I was too late," he said simply. "Now, we must continue if we wish to get somewhere before dawn."   
"We've been walking all day," Nidorina pointed out, "we are footsore and tired, I do not think we can walk all night as well." She had seen the fact that he was wounded and knew the Nidorans were tired too.   
"What would you rather?" He asked. "A little tiredness or being caught and half-killed by Trainers who have seen us on television and know where we are? I know I prefer the former."   
Nobody dared argue with Spiko when he was in this kind of mood.   
They traipsed on through the dark hours. Spiko's limp getting worse and Nidorina getting more and more worried about him. Not that she liked to admit it. No further mishap occurred, but when they stopped to rest at dawn, in a small wooded glade some miles from Lake Eerie, Spiko noticed something disturbing had occurred.   
A dozen Nidorans, including Tattered Ears, had vanished.   
Purple approached him, keeping his head low and humble. "They've run away," he said solemnly, trying not to invoke the wrath of the Nidorino. "They were tired of walking so they decided to stay in the farmlands."   
"And you didn't tell me?!" Spiko bellowed.   
"I'm sorry sir, they made me promise not to. I know you're wanting to help us, but I guess, I guess they didn't."   
Spiko controlled himself in time. Very calmly, he said, "I think we should go back and find them." It was a forced calm.   
"No," Nidorina spoke up for the first time. "They came with us by their own choice, they stay by their own choice."   
"How dare you argue with me?" Spiko growled.   
Nidorina stepped forwards and nudged him with her nose. "You really have to work out this anger problem," she said, "do you want to act like nothing better than a Pokemon Trainer?"   
The realisation hit Spiko as surely as the Magumarashi's blaze. He hung his head. "I didn't realise," he muttered, "I thought I was doing the right thing."   
"You are, you have been!" Nidorina said, "but some of the Nidorans don't realise this. They've never been kept captive by humans and they don't know how hard their freedom is to keep. You're used to being a follower, Spiko, but now you're trying to be a leader and its hard, very hard."   
Spiko looked up at her. "It's terrible," he said sadly. "They get hurt and I can't help them, they die and I can't stop it. I hate it!" A tear rolled from his eye and trickled down his cheek.   
Nidorina nudged him gently. "You're a good guy, Spiko, but you can't take responsibility for all of them. You can't control them like they were your slaves. Because they're not, and they are each responsible for themselves."   
"They'll die or be captured," he said, "why can't I go and save them?"   
The Nidorina sighed. Sometimes it was easy to remember that he was actually quite young and inexperienced. He may be big and powerful, but she had the advantage of years, even if most of hers had been spent with Team Rocket. "Because they don't want to be saved. But these ones, these are your loyal followers and they will go with you into the Nidoran Paradise you spoke of."   
He smiled, finally, but faintly. "And you?"   
Nidorina shrugged. "I will too."

Within another two days they had reached the foot of the hill. Spiko's limp was getting so progressively terrible that he had to continually stop to rest his leg. The scar was a bright, angry red. When Fearow-Fighter rested on his head, she could feel the heat seering through it. His whole body was hot. And he was getting progressively weaker.   
They were all desperately worried, but Spiko would not listen to any of it. Nidorina was terrified for him. It was almost as though he had decided that he would get the Nidorans to safety above all else – even risking his own life.   
They paused for a rest, grazing the lush grass of the meadowlands.   
"What's wrong with here?" One of the Nidoran females asked, a moment too soon.   
"Hey you! What are you doing in OUR territory?" A strange Nidoran hopped over. It was larger than Spiko's Nidorans, and had thicker, more lustrous fur.   
Spiko was lying in the grass. He looked up as it came by. "Passing through, nothing more," he growled, too weak to react more vigourously.   
"You're rather a ragamuffin bunch of Nidorans," the resident male said somewhat haughtily. "Where are you going?"   
"Not that it's any of your business," Nidorina stood beside Spiko protectively. "We're going up the hill and over to the valley."   
The big male took a step back and gasped. "To the _valley?_"   
"What's wrong with that?"   
He shuddered. "They say the valley is haunted by the ghosts of those that died there during the great epidemic."   
This puzzled Spiko. Kataryna had told him the valley was safe, a reserve and obviously that meant there were no Nidoran already there, as they were somewhat territorial. But she had spoken not of hauntings or epidemics.   
Fearow-Fighter, bold attacker of giant birds that she was, drew back, crouching close to Purple, and whimpered. "Ghosts?" Her voice wavered.   
"Nonsense," Purple groomed her ears. "There's no such thing as ghosts, ain't that true, sir?"   
"Of course not," Spiko's voice sounded even weaker. "No such things as ghosts," he mumbled.   
The large Nidoran chuckled. "No such thing as ghosts," he shook his large ears, "that's the most ridiculous piece of magikarpswallop I've heard in a long time. You go up over to the valley and you tell me you don't believe in ghosts!"   
"I'm scared," one of the young Nidorans whimpered. Its mother nuzzled it.   
Purple sprang in front of the large male and stared at him balefully. "No, what you're saying is a load of magikarpswallop. Ghosts indeed! You're just trying to scare us away."   
The Nidoran battered Purple with one large paw, sending the smaller male tumbling in the dirt. "HA!" He laughed in Purple's face. "Go over to the valley, see for yourself, see if I care!"   
"Fine then," Purple replied, "we will." He glanced at Spiko. "Come on sir, let's go!"   
Nidorina barely suppressed a cringe as Spiko clambered to his feet. He was obviously in a great deal of pain and he could no longer hide it from them. His bullet graze had been infected. The powerful Nidorino stood trying to keep his weight off his injured leg. He gazed at the huddled Nidorans and gazed at the stranger.   
"Nidorina, Purple and I, and any volunteers, will climb the hill and spend the night in the valley. The rest of you can stay here?" He glanced at the Nidoran stranger for confirmation.   
"Only for a night!" The male replied. "If you don't decide to move to the valley you have to move somewhere! We don't take kindly to strangers around here!"   
Spiko agreed. "If the valley is haunted and we can't fix it, then we shall travel farther afield to try and find a new home."   
There were a murmur of sighs and moans about this last statement. The Nidoran were tired of travelling, they wanted nothing more than to bask in the sun and play again. Spiko had to agree. If he had to travel much farther he was sure his shoulder would break!   
"We are agreed?" Purple asked the assembly.   
The Nidorans made various noises of acceptance. Yes, they would wait here, yes Spiko and co should investigate the valley.   
They would probably be glad of the rest.   
"Okay," Spiko declared. "Now we head up over the hill, any volunteers to join us?"   
"Me!" Purple said immediately.   
"Aye," Nidorina agreed.   
"Um, me…" Fearow-Fighter muttered nervously.   
"You, you're still ill!" Purple scolded her.   
She cringed away at his disapproval. "I want to be with you," she whispered.   
Purple nuzzled her affectionately.   
"Yeah, I will," one of the older males interjected…   
Eventually there were eight of them, three more volunteered, one of them one of the females that had flirted with Spiko.   
The large male watched on in interest. He scratched his chin with a hindpaw. "Well, have fun."   
And he loped off into the distance.   
"Should we leave the rest here?" Nidorina asked.   
Spiko shrugged, "I'd rather not, but they are near a warren."   
"But not beneath ground."   
The Nidorino sighed, ashamed at having forgotten his duty. "Follow him," he said to the Nidoran that wished to stay behind. "Once you're in the warren it will be safe."   
At the mention of "warren," they all scampered off eagerly. The thought of being underground again!

Much to his shame, Spiko collapsed at the top of the hill. He was fine, then, suddenly, his leg gave way beneath him. He slid several feet before he managed to stop himself. Fearow-Fighter bounced off his head (where she still rode).   
"Are you okay sir?" She asked.   
"Fine, just fine." The Spiko dragged himself to his feet. "Come on, we'll have to hurry if we want to get there before nightfall."   
Already the light had deepened into late afternoon.   
"I think I can manage the rest myself," Fearow-Fighter said bravely.   
They could see the valley below them now. It looked perfect. Light reflected off the waters of a large lake and there was plenty of open grassland, littered with tasty looking trees, not that you could really tell from this distance.   
With much sliding and limping, the eight of them made it down the somewhat steeper slope and into the valley.

"This is haunted?" One of the Nidorans, a large blue female with a more prominent than normal horn, remarked.   
It did not seem a dangerous place – the trees were heavy with fruit, the bushes laden with berries, the grass rich and green. It was, indeed, a Pokemon Paradise.   
So where were the Pokemon?   
This absence of life disconcerted the Nidorino no end. It did not help that his leg felt as though it were on fire every time he moved, something he was trying to ignore.   
"Guess what we found!" Purple and Fearow-Fighter (her previous anxiety gone) bounced over eagerly.   
"What?" Spiko automatically asked.   
"It's no fun if you won't guess, sir," Purple commented, at the same moment that Fearow-Fighter shouted, "burrows!"   
"Burrows?"   
"Yeah, empty ones. Don't smell of disease or nothing, sir." She added as an afterthought.   
"Well then, I guess we have to go see!" He said. "But first I need a drink. Anyone with me?"   
They shook their heads, the excitement of the burrows too great.   
Spiko's throat felt as though it were burning, he limped eagerly over to the water and drunk greedily. Something stirred in the reeds.   
Seeing it, he instantly turned. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. It was blue and spiky, looking somewhat like a…   
"Golduck?" It remarked, then seemed to find its language. "Nidorino? Here? In the valley?"   
Spiko turned and stared at it. "What does it mean to you, duck?"   
"That's Golduck to you! I thought you fellows were scared of the place, cos of all the strangeness what goes on."   
The Nidorino looked at it curiously.   
"Last bunch of Nidorans what came here ran away in terror, that's all what I say," it added, as by way of explaination.   
"They're cowards," Spiko muttered. "They say the place is haunted."   
Now it was the Golduck's turn to look at him as though he were insane. "It is."   
"What?"   
"By the Dark Nidoran of the lesser realms," it explained (explaining very little, I might add). "I'm surprised you ain't heard of him."   
"The Dark Nidoran, that's preposterous."   
Golduck sighed, making an almost quacking noise in the process. "They say it was he what wiped out the last warren down here. They all had their fur fall out, their skin turn black and their eyes turn blank and lifeless. None survived, or at least none what I heard of. Except the Dark Nidoran."   
Spiko sighed in exasperation. If it wasn't enough to have a Nidoran trying to scare him, now he had to put up with a duck doing the same thing. "Yeah, sure," he said, "I mean to find this Dark Nidoran and make him pay!"   
"Be it on your head then." Golduck muttered.

"These burrows are great!" The big female commented. "I could see myself having a litter here."   
"Yeah, this place is perfect," one of the more sceptical Nidorans muttered, "so why isn't there anyone here?"   
"Probably scared of the ghosts," Purple muttered angrily. Fearow-Fighter drew close to his side. She was plainly still a little edgy.   
The warren was perfect, it was angled to get the early morning and late afternoon sun, the lake was only a hop skip and a jump away, there were plenty of berry-fruit trees. It really was the oasis Spiko had spoken of.   
So where were the Pokemon?

They curled up that night in the huge central burrow, where a hundred, maybe more, Nidoran could gather. They had worked hard into the night enlarging one of the entrances so Nidorina and Spiko could join them. Nobody felt like excluding anyone else from the group.   
Conversation was halted, light, noone seemed willing to talk.   
Spiko did not mention the Dark Nidoran.

The noises started soon after midnight. An insistent scratch, scratch, scratching on the ground above them. The Nidorans drew together and Fearow-Fighter barely stifled a scream.   
"Death," a spectral voice hissed, "death and doom to those that invade Death Valley."   
"Nooo," Fearow-Fighter whispered.   
"Let's sort this out, once and for all!" Spiko declared. "You three, head up that burrow, the others take that one. Nidorina and I are going up this one!"   
The Nidorans scattered, barely retaining their nervous grip to control.   
Nidorina walked up the tunnel before him, Spiko limping behind. He had a nagging suspicion about the "Dark Nidoran".   
Suddenly the voice came from behind him. "Feel the touch of the Dark Nidoran! For it is death!"   
A cold, clammy hand (or paw) touched his tail.   
As a reflexive action, Spiko kicked back and was happy to hear a thump and a gasp.   
But he could not turn around in the narrow tunnel, not easily, and by the time he managed to undertake the awkward contortions, the beast, whatever it was, had gone.   
Above ground they could see nothing, even under the spectral light of the half moon. Two of the Nidorans were gibbering wrecks, they had felt the "touch of death" too and, unlike Spiko, were positive it was going to kill them.   
Leaving Nidorina to look after them, Spiko sent out search parties again, Purple and Fearow-Fighter, the other two Nidorans and himself in three groups. The ground smelt of nothing much, but the dirt had been scraped. There were no footprints.

Fearow-Fighter was on edge. She was almost fully recovered from the Chamander incident and she had Purple, strong, beautiful Purple, at her side, but she was still frightened.   
She remembered tales of the Dark Nidoran, how he stalked the warren, searching for kits that were not asleep and stealing their life.   
The tales had terrified her as a baby. Terrified her so much that she would go to sleep straight away, lest she hear the scritch-scritch-scritch of the Dark Nidoran searching the tunnels.   
And now they had found him, hiding in an abandoned warren.   
"Hoo hoo!" Something hooted, almost shooting her out of her skin. Purple patted her on the shoulder. He had not heard the tales of the Dark Nidoran, his mother had been a lot less cruel to her kits! It was just a Hoohoo. A threat to a Nidoran kit, yes, but hardly to a strong adult.   
At least there was something else alive here after all.   
In true cinematic style, after the threat had been identified as being nothing but an Owl Pokemon, something stepped out of the bushes in front of them.   
Fearow-Fighter leapt back in fear.   
Its eyes glowed!   
Its eyes _glowed_.   
"I am the Dark Nidoran," it said in a low sandpapery voice, enough to strike fear in the hearts of any Nidoran. It was the voice of the crypt.   
Fearow-Fighter might be able to attack a Fearow, but this was beyond her. She turned and ran.   
Purple snarled at it. Then loped after her. He was not about to let her to run off by herself! Anything could happen to her.

Spiko sighed in disgust. His search had yielded nothing. He was about to return to the starting point when something barrelled into his leg.   
Something small and very dark.   
He brought his forefoot down on it, pinning it to the ground.   
"Who are you?" He asked in still, menacing tones.   
"I…" it stuttered, then seemed to regain composure, "I am the Dark Nidoran," it said in that sandpapery-out-of-the-crypt voice. "I will steal your life."   
"No you bloody won't!" Spiko glared down at it.   
And lo, at that point the moon revealed her silvery face from behind the clouds.   
"You're just a Nidoran!" The Nidorino chuckled. And it was. Yes, it was dark, very dark, its fur so dark it was almost black. It had tattered ears and its fur was mangy, as though it had fallen out in great clumps and had only just grown back. It tried to draw back, but it was pinned beneath his foot.   
"Don't hurt me, don't hurt me," it stuttered. "I, I only wanted to be here alone, to live in peace. The others, the others threw me out because they said, they said I was diseased."   
"Come on Scruffy," Spiko said, releasing his foot and grabbing its tattered ruff in his teeth. "Yure-cuming-wit-me." This was said around a mouthful of mangy fur.   
Spiko hoisted the barely-struggling Nidoran into the air and carried him back to the starting point. He deposited it at Nidorina's feet.   
"I caught the Dark Nidoran!" He said proudly.   
"Ni," the Dark Nidoran whimpered nervously.   
"That's the Dark Nidoran?!" Nidorina remarked. The two Nidorans sniggered. The Dark Nidoran looked shame-faced.   
"Help, help!" Fearow-Fighter came running into the area. "The Dark Nidoran is after us."   
"No I'm not!" The Dark Nidoran commented at the same time as Spiko said, "no he isn't, I've got him right here."   
Fearow-Fighter ignored most of this. "He had glowing red eyes and he said he was going to kill us."   
"No I didn't," the Dark Nidoran muttered, but was ignored.   
Purple came panting in after her. "We've got to catch it!" He shrieked.   
"I already have," Spiko was once again ignored.   
"There must be two of them!" Nidorina was somewhat quicker off the mark. "Come on!"   
She tore through the trees, leaving behind her a torrent of dirt. Purple, still panting, turned around and ran after her.

Nidorina tore across the meadow and through the few trees, in this perfect woodland haven. She was half running blindly, half following the scent of Purple and Fearow-Fighter. Suddenly she paused, her huge ears had heard something. She lowered her head and charged into the bushes.   
"I am the Dark Nidoran and I will, arghh!" Screamed something as she barrelled into it sending it flying. It tumbled to the ground. It had glowing red eyes and a red stone on its forehead.   
"I am the fast Nidorina and I will beat you," Nidorina said, kicking it with her foot.   
"Ack, lemme alone you big bully!"   
Nidorina paused mid swipe. "Leave you along? Did I hear you say? Leave _you_ alone? Whose been tormenting my friends? Whose been scaring the fur off of us?"   
"You ain't got fur," the "Dark Nidoran" muttered.   
"Nor have you, you blasted duck! Now you're coming with me!"   
"You're never take me alive!" The Golduck waved its hands in a strange arc. The red stone on its head flared brightly.   
The psychic wave hit Nidorina with so much force that it actually threw her backwards. She cried out as it felt like the insides of her head were exploding.   
"Gol!!" The Golduck suddenly quacked.   
"Nininini niDO!"   
Nidorina staggered to her feet and saw the strangest sight. The large Golduck was pinned to the ground by a little Nidoran.   
"Stop this nonsense now, or I'll stab you with my horn and fill you fill of poison," Purple snarled. His pin horn was aimed straight at Golduck's throat.   
"Ok, fine, I surrender," the Golduck muttered. "It was justa bit of fun."   
"Bit of fun my horn!" Purple muttered. "You scared my female friend, I think that deserves something in the way of revenge."   
"Hah, the things ya do for love," Golduck muttered.

"So tell us," Spiko said with cool reassurance in his voice. "Why are you two masquerading as the Dark Nidoran?"   
The Nidoran spoke up first. "The epidemic killed my family, my friends, my entire warren, I was the only survivor. I ran to the other warren, the one outside and asked them to take me in, but look at me. I'm mangy and my skin's dark and blotchy and I smelt of disease, even though I had survived it and they couldn't catch it off me. They cast me out, told me to leave them or they would kill me.   
"So I came back here and Golduck and I got together. You see, she's a bit of a loner, and wanted the place to herself, so I knew that eventually the outsiders would try and come inside, because, face it, it's a paradise here."   
"So we became the Dark Nidoran," Golduck explained.   
Spiko pondered for a moment. "My friends will be moving in here," he explained, "you, Scruffy, can join us, and you Golduck, will just have to cope with it."   
"But," Nidorina interrupted, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "we promise we won't tell the outsiders about you two, so they continue to think the valley is haunted and we're just really brave or stupid."   
Golduck grinned. "I suppose that's better than having those blighters coming back here. They're stupid and greedy and don't much like other Pokemon."   
So, Spiko and his friends had solved the mystery of the haunted valley.

The Nidoran had been living in the valley for almost a week now. It really was the paradise Spiko had promised them. Already, many of the females were fat with young (as well as fat with fresh grass and sweet berries). Even Golduck seemed tolerant enough of the influx of Nidorans. Perhaps, with time, she would get used to company.   
Nidorina suddenly realised that something was wrong. She had not seen Spiko for some time. His infection had got worse and he had been spending most of his time by the lake, drinking water and pretending he was fine. None of them fell for it. The Nidorans were all anxious for him, especially Purple and Fearow-Fighter whom had become his closest friends (much to Nidorina's jealousy). She trotted down to the lakeshore to find him, but Golduck found her first.   
"You're friend," she said, "I think he's dying. You have to find the human-healer."   
"Dying? How?"   
"He came down this morning to drink, as usual and fell down. He didn't get up. His shoulders an angry red and he feels real hot. You have to find the human-healer."   
"Whose the human healer?"   
"You know this is a reserve, right? She looks after the Pokemon here and in the other baisin-valleys further over. They have many humans working around here – the ones that keep poachers out and the ones that help us when we're ill. She lives in a cottage on three tree hill."   
"I'll go there at once," Nidorina said.   
Golduck gave her directions then watched as she ran off, up the side of the valley. She shook her head. "Now, that's love."

She had to get to the Healer, had to. Spiko was dying. How had she not guessed? He had been getting weaker and weaker and his leg redder and redder, as the poison seeped through his system. He needed help and he needed help yesterday!   
She was panting as she topped the side of the hill, it was the second one she had sprinted up and suddenly something disturbingly familiar caught her gaze.   
A helicopter. With an "R" painted on the side.   
She ran faster, harder but it was too late, she had been spotted. The helicopter glided down to rest in the grass and out leapt:   
"Prepare for chaos!"   
"It never fails!"   
"Why are we saying this, its not like there's anyone around to hear us."   
"Force of habit?"   
Freyja crouched down and stared at her Nidorina. Nidorina herself froze. They had come for her. Her Trainer, her mistress, her… friend?   
"Nidorina, I miss you and I want you back!" She pleaded.   
The Nidorina could hear the misery in her voice. She felt it too. She and her Trainer had been as one, close, they shared a bond.   
_Flashback: A young Freyja (in short skirt and crop top of course), peeling an apple and feeding the peels to her Nidoran female. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" She asked. The Nidoran didn't care, she ate the apple, licked her Trainers hand…   
Flashback: Freyja and her cowered in the gutter, keeping close to each other for warmth. "You're all I've got, Nidorina, all I've got in the whole world…"   
Flashback: The two of them (Nidoran now evolved into Nidorina) staring at a silver-haired young man. "You want us to steal other people's Pokemon?"_   
Yes, Nidorina remembered well Freyja, poor child alone in the city, having to do terrible jobs to make money. Any money.   
_I'll always stand by you._   
How could she abandon her now?   
She took one step towards her Trainer.   
_"He'll die if you don't get help."_   
She couldn't leave Spiko, nor Purple, nor Fearow-Fighter.   
She didn't want to go back to stealing Pokemon.   
But she didn't want to abandon Freyja either.   
Her large head hung, she stepped forward, nuzzled Freyja's hands, looked her in the eyes.   
"I'm sorry," she said, "I'll miss you, Freyja, but I have other things to consider now."   
She thought, perhaps, Freyja understood.   
Freyja hugged her, then stepped back, tears glinting in her eyes.   
"At least this time I said goodbye," she said sadly.   
"I know," Nidorina agreed, although she knew Freyja would not understand. "Live well."   
And then she trotted away, she had a mission to do.   
Loki's hand gripped a Pokeball. "Well I'm not letting her get away again!" He said, "go Fear…"   
Freyja grabbed his hand, lowered it. She shook her head. "No, let her go."

Some hours later, Nidorina nuzzled the still semi-comatose Nidorino. The healer had been over, interjected him with many things, fed him little white pills and bandaged his wound. He was still sluggish from the drugs, but he knew what had happened.   
"You chose me over her," he slurred, his voice a drone.   
"Yes," Nidorina whispered, "for she is my past and you are my future."   
"I'm glad," Spiko replied, "and not just because you saved my life."   
"Me too."   
"And Nidorina," he added, sounding slurred and nervous now, "do you think, perhaps, you would become my mate."   
Nidorina chuckled and licked his ear. "Why else do you think I came back?" She said.   
And that, was that. 

   [1]: http://kpj.articunoisland.com



End file.
